


Stay

by theawkwardonetwothree



Category: Jurassic World Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: AU, Angst, Animal Death, Clawen, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fallen Kingdom rewrite, Fluff, No volcano, Romance, Violent Dinosaurs, Wu and Mills are still involved, mature content, post jurassic world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:27:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27034918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theawkwardonetwothree/pseuds/theawkwardonetwothree
Summary: Just over a year after the end of Jurassic World, Claire has thrown herself into the DPG. The dinosaurs are dying from an unknown illness, and they’re doing all they can to save them, trying to convince the government to help them. But that means returning to Isla Nublar, and facing the memories of the screams and death and teeth and blood. And in order to save them all, she’ll have to come face to face with the one person who terrifies her more than anything that happened that day.
Relationships: Claire Dearing/Owen Grady
Comments: 9
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

Claire Dearing stood in the elevator, tapping her foot anxiously as the floors passed by. She swirled the coffee in her hand, ice clinking against the side of the cup. Finally, the heard a ding and the doors opened to reveal the crowded of people all either typing away, or shouting to someone across the room, or speaking into a phone.

The Dinosaur Protection Group was made up of people from all types of backgrounds. From people who just wanted to help, to communications liaisons to deal with the press, to IT workers helping keep their systems up and running. They even had a paleoveterinarian on staff, which was proving to be a godsend with this infection.

Speaking of Zia, she was currently looking very frustrated, gripping the phone very tightly in her hand as she tried to get a word in around whoever she was speaking to. Claire smirked and made her way over, setting the other coffee on Zia’s desk, holding her hand out for the phone. Zia handed it over thankfully, sighing exasperatedly.

Claire raised the phone to her ear and began, “Hello, um... “

Zia mouthed, “Congresswoman Delgado,” and pressed her hands together like a prayer, thanking Claire in a whisper.

Claire grinned as she made her way toward quieter corner of the room. “Congresswoman Delgado, hello, this is Claire Dearing. I’m the lead organizer here.”

The other woman hummed, and responded curtly, “Yes, well I’ve already spoken to that other girl and I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”

“Yes Ma’am, I appreciate that, but could I please just get a moment of your time?”

“I suppose.”

“Great! Thank you very much.” She rolled her eyes, keeping her tone chipper and upbeat. “So our mission here at the Dinosaur Protection Agency is to secure federal funding for testing at Isla Nublar and possible relocation to Site B. We believe the illness that the dinosaurs are suffering from is coming from the island, we’re almost certain it’s coming from the water source. But we can’t be certain without testing.”

“Miss Dearing, I think you can understand why we aren’t very keen on allowing anybody near that island after the incident last year.”

“Yes Ma’am, I understand. I was there. But these dinosaurs are just as alive as any other endangered species, and they deserve our protection too. And they’re dying, it’s starting going farther inland, affecting more and more of the dinosaurs.”

“And that is very sad, Miss Dearing, however—“

“Can I ask you a question?” Claire interrupted. She needed to get through to this woman. She knew she had more power to help than she was letting on. “Do you have kids?”

There was a few seconds of hesitation. “Yes, I do.”

“Okay. So your kids, an entire generation has grown up in a world where dinosaurs are living and breathing. And soon they’re going to have to watch them go extinct again. Or not,” she said, biting her lip. “If enough people like you make a difference.”

More silence. Then, “I’ll see what I can do. I can’t guarantee anything but I’ll speak to the other reps and let them know that you have my support.”

Claire smiled. “Great! We’re so thankful for your support. You won’t regret it.”

The call ended and she turned to Zia to give her a thumbs up as she returned the phone to her, giving her and Franklin a high five. “Yes!”

“Nice!”

Claire took a sip of her coffee. “So, anything new?”

Zia shook her head. “No, since the only cameras we have remote access to are the priority buildings security cams, we haven’t seen many. A couple of pachys wandered into the old raptor paddock, but they’re long gone. They seemed fine.”

“What about the cams near the visitors center by the dock?”

Zia shrugged. “Nothing new. The stegosaurus is still over there, he isn’t looking too good, but nothing else has gotten close enough.”

Claire sighed, sipping her coffee again. “I just wish we had all of our cams, nearly every inch of the park was covered.” She knew she’d said the same thing dozens of times, but it did nothing to dull her frustration.

“Me too,” Zia responded. “But the only ones accessible remotely are the top priority ones at high risk places. The backup power was only hooked up to those ones since it was only for absolute emergencies, and they needed to conserve where they could."

“I know.”

Zia looked at her sadly. “It’ll be okay Claire. We’ll save them.”

Claire nodded but she didn’t really believe it. There was so much working against them. She made her way to her office and sat in her chair, rubbing her hands over her face. Zia hadn’t asked her why she was late like she did the few other times it had happened, and she was thankful for that. Claire was too exhausted to deal with that after a night of no sleep. The meds she was taking didn’t help, and she thought maybe that was because she didn’t want to sleep. With sleep came dreams, and those dreams were often nightmares. She’d either wake up screaming, her breath caught in her chest as she looked around her room, as though expecting to see the Indominus looming over her in her one bedroom apartment. Or she’d wake up sobbing, the hole in her chest too big and empty for her to bear, subconsciously reaching out for the empty space next to her in bed.

Last night was the latter, and she was just glad the redness and swelling in her eyes had gone down by the time she’d left her apartment. Zia’s questioning would be relentless. Claire loved that girl but sometimes she was too curious for her own good.

Shaking her head, she pulled out her laptop and pushed out all the thoughts of the night before, focusing on her emails. She couldn’t afford to be so distracted, not right now. People were counting on her, her friends were counting on her. The dinosaurs were counting on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter, I know a lot of it is similar to the movie, but I promise the next chapters aren’t as redundant! I would love to hear your thoughts so far :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire takes some time to visit her family, and gets a very important call while she's there.

A few weeks later, Claire was once again walking into work late. However, this time Zia took much more notice and Claire was aware of how swollen her eyes were, knowing that her friend had also undoubtedly noticed. She barely suppressed a groan when the other woman followed her into her office. 

“You look like shit."

Claire snorted and gave Zia an exasperated look. Really? "Thank you, very much."

Zia shrugged. "It's true. When was the last time you got some sleep?"

"I slept last night," Claire argued and saw her friend her rolling her eyes. "I did!"

"Mhm. Look, I love you but you're full of shit. You need a break from this place, Claire."

"I can't just take off! We're finally starting to gain some traction, theres too much that needs to be done."

Zia sighed. "Yes, but we can handle it. Just take a few days off, we can email you if we need you. But you're exhausted, you're here like every day. It's not healthy."

Claire looked at her friend, her body tense as she fought the urge to argue. To say that she was fine, she was just a little tired, nothing she couldn't handle. But she couldn't bring herself to. Because Zia was right. She was exhausted and it was starting to affect her work. She was more short tempered. She wasn't as focused, she was slow responding to emails, her phone was filling up with voicemails. But she had to work. If she stayed home, she was just reminded of how lonely she really was, and that brought up memories of him. And that was worse than the absolute exhaustion taking over her body. 

Claire sighed. She knew she couldn't keep going on like this. It was going to kill her, and while she wasn't overly concerned with herself, she knew that she had too many responsibilities to stay on top of. Her taking time off was best for everyone. She couldn't help if she was too run down to function. But she couldn't be alone. 

Looking at Zia, she bit her lip, mulling an idea over in her head. Maybe...

And that's how she found herself seated at the airport gate a week and a half later. She tapped her foot against the ground, checking her watch for the tenth time in the last half hour. Thank god. It was almost 7am, which meant she'd be boarding soon. 

Karen had been quite surprised when she'd called and asked if she could come visit, and Claire didn't blame her. They'd only seen each other once after the "Incident", and Claire didn't call often. Of course they'd talked much more than they had before, but she'd stopped calling as much in the last few months. She didn't know what to say anymore. She just felt so lost.

But Claire needed to get away from work, and being alone wouldn't do. And she was excited to see Karen and the boys. She missed them.

So for the last week and a half she'd busted her ass, sending emails and making calls and organizing assemblies and so much else nonstop. They were running out of time and she needed every second to count. 

A loud voice interrupted her thoughts and she startled. Her hand closed around the handle of her luggage as the voice announced that her flight was now boarding. Her boarding pass in hand, she approached the gate and got in line.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°

"Aunt Claire!" 

Turning her head, she grinned as she caught sight of her nephew rushing toward her. 

"Gray! Hi!" She hugged him back, though a bit awkwardly.

Next to embrace her was her sister, and she sighed as she gripped her back tightly. She'd missed her sister more than she'd realized.

"I'm so glad you're here," Karen said as she pulled away.

"Me too. I've missed you guys." 

Zach smiled at her and waved, not moving to hug her. Claire waved back, just fine with that. She remembered Karen mentioning how Zach had become more withdrawn since the divorce. 

She smiled as Karen hooked her elbow with Claire's as they made their way through the airport toward the parking lot. They'd only made it 5 minutes into the drive when Gray began asking questions about the dinosaurs.

"Aunt Claire? What do you really do at your job? Mom said the dinosaurs are sick. What happened to them? They were fine when we were there."

"Gray!" Karen admonished but she couldn't help but chuckle. Looking over at Claire who sat in the passenger seat, she sighed. "I told him to at least wait until we were back home before bombarding you."

Claire grinned and turned in her seat to look at her nephew who at least looked a little embarrassed. "It's fine," she said. "Well, at my job we're trying to help the dinosaurs. Your mom is right, they are sick. We think we might know why but we aren't sure. So we're trying to get help from the government to do some testing." It was a very simplified version, but she wasn't sure how much her sister wanted the kids to know.

"What kind of tests? What do you think is making them sick?"

Claire glanced at Karen who nodded, so she turned back to Gray. "We think there's something in the water, contaminating it, that's making them sick. Only the ones who are near the northern river are getting sick, the ones on the west side of the island are okay, they don't get their water from the same source."

Gray frowned. "But what kind of tests?"

"Well," she hesitated. "We would need someone to collect samples from the river and test them for any kind of disease, or parasite."

"They're going to the island?" His eyes were wide and Zach was staring at her too. 

She shifted nervously. "Maybe. We don't know yet, there's a lot to figure out. And we don't even know if they're going to help us."

Gray didn't respond and the rest of the ride was quiet. Claire wasnt sure what to make of his silence. But she felt the same way. As much as she wanted to save these dinosaurs, some days she wasn't sure it was worth the risk. But she'd come this far, she couldn't stop now.

The house looked the same as the last time she had visited, though it felt less empty. She assumed they'd adjusted to Scott not being here. Her room was next door to Gray's, and she tossed her suitcase onto her bed, sighing. The bed looked so inviting, and she was so tired from her lack of sleep coupled with her early morning. But Claire hadn't come all the way here to sleep. She'd come to see her family, to relax, to unwind. Sighing, she turned to make her way downstairs. 

Karen was making lunch and the boys were seated in the living room, fighting over a video game. Her sister rolled her eyes as they started wrestling over a controller.

"They're driving me crazy," Karen remarked as she sipped a cup of coffee, but she was smiling.

Claire chuckled as she watched Zach hold it up high in the air, Gray just short enough he couldn't reach. She looked back at her sister, biting her lip. "How are they doing?"

Karen sighed. "As good as can be expected, I guess. They see Scott every other weekend during school, and they're free to stay wherever they want during the summer. They were both here most of it though, other than at friends' houses." She smiled sadly. "We were supposed to trade off holidays but Scott already bailed on Easter this year."

Claire shook her head in anger. "What an ass." Karen snorted and nodded her head, sliding a plate in front of Claire, a sandwich and some fruit. "Thanks."

"No problem." She looked over at her son's, smiling as they sat on the couch again, playing together amicably. "He is an ass. Don't get me we wrong, I love having the boys here. I wouldn't mind having full custody, but I wanted them to still get to see their father." She sighed. "But I think they can tell that Scott doesn't really care."

Claire smiled at her sadly. "They're lucky they have you."

Karen smiled at her and turned back to her own food. "Thanks." Popping a piece of melon in her mouth, she propped her chin on her fist. "How about you? What's been going on?"

Claire's shoulders tensed as she shrugged. "Nothing new. Just working."

With a roll of her eyes, Karen groaned. "Look, I know your job is important, but you need balance. You can't spend your whole life in an office."

It was Claire's turn to roll her eyes. She'd heard that enough times in her life. "My job is --"

"Its important, I know. But you need to take care of yourself too." Karen patted her hand. "When was the last time you got out? Went on a date?" Claire's breath hitched. "It's been a while... since —"

"Don't," Claire whispered, stating down at the food that no longer looked appetizing. "Please just... don't."

Her sister's eyes softened as she dropped that particular line of questioning. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you."

Trying to force a smile, Claire looked her sister in the eye. "I'm okay. Promise."

The rest of that day was spent at the house, her nephews trying to teach her how to play some of their games. She was terrible at them, but it felt nice to sit on the couch with them, laughing and joking, even if the laughing was directed at her atrocious gaming skills. 

Still exhausted, she retired to bed early, hugging each of them before heading up the stairs. Barely able to keep her eyes open long enough to change into her pajamas, she was asleep before her head hit the pillow. 

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

The sun crept through the gap in the curtains, warming her face as she slept peacefully. Her body was relaxed for the first time in months, her face not creased in discomfort as she slept, her breathing easy and even, not panicked. 

As she began to awaken, Claire rolled onto her back, moaning softly as she stretched her arms above her head, feeling stiff from being asleep for so long. She blinked her eyes open, using her hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight. 

'What time is it?' she wondered to herself, looking for her phone. She was glad she'd managed to plug it in before passing out. 

9:00am.

She'd slept for nearly 12 hours. She blinked in surprise, sitting up in the bed. The last time she'd slept that long was after she'd left Isla Nublar, and was far beyond exhaustion. Before that, probably not since she was a teenager. On the island she was up at 5:30am every weekday, and 8am on weekends. 

And ever since then, she was awake in the middle of the night, never seeming to be able to go back to sleep after her dreams. Nightmares. 

She shook her head and tossed the blanket off of herself. Dressing quickly, she made the bed neatly and heading down the stairs to see what everyone else was up to. Karen was in the kitchen with Gray, who was seated on a stool at the counter, his chin in his hand. His eyes looked half closed, but he seemed to perk up when she entered the room, smiling. 

"Aunt Claire!"

She smiled, still not used to how much he seemed to like being around her. "Good morning," she greeted. 

Karen smiled at her over her cup of coffee. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great," she responded, and for once, it wasn't a lie. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so rested. 

"Want some coffee?"

Nodding her head, Claire responded, "Oh yes, please." Karen grinned. They'd both always been coffee addicts. 

Her sister poured some into a mug, adding some creamer before handing it to Claire, who immediately took a sip, sighing. "That's good."

Karen smiled, looking at her son for a moment, before pouring another cup with some extra creamer in it, sliding it over to Gray who looked at her surprised. 

"Promise not to bounce off the walls like last time?"

He nodded excitedly and grabbed the cup before his mom could change his mind. Karen chuckled.

"I don't usually let him drink coffee because he's got plenty of energy as it is. But someone was so excited to see you that he woke up early and now he's tired."

Gray blushed, glaring at his mom. "Hey!"

Claire chuckled and reached over, ruffling his hair, surprising both of them. She wasn't one to initiate contact with anyone, really. But she was getting comfortable around her family, and the contact was comforting. 

His cheeks still pink, he took a drink of his coffee, grinning at the two of them. Karen started breakfast, and Claire moved to help her, not wanting her sister to have to do everything. 

"Gray, why don't you go wake your brother up? It's late enough and breakfast will be ready soon." The young boy grinned and hopped off the stool, running toward the staircase, nearly tripping over himself. "Do not jump on him!" Karen shouted.

There was no response and a few seconds later they heard a loud shout. Claire laughed as her sister groaned. Zach chased Gray down the stairs and they all sat down at the table for breakfast, chatting over eggs, pancakes, and bacon. 

"Was there anywhere you wanted to go today? I figured we could get out of the house, do some sightseeing?"

"That sounds nice. I'm fine with anywhere, I don't know the town very well."

The four of them ended up visiting a few different places that day. The mall, then lunch, then driving around town. She got to see Zach's high school, and Gray's middle school. After a few more stops they made it back home. 

Claire felt lighter than she had in a long time. It felt so good to be around her family, the people she loved. Laughing, and smiling, and joking around. It was peaceful. She pushed everything else away, letting herself live in the moment and enjoy being with them, not allowing her thoughts to shift to what it would be like when she got back home. 

The boys spent some more time trying to teach her how to play one of their video games before they all settled down for a movie. 

She looked over at her sister, who was smiling down at Gray who had fallen asleep on her shoulder. Catching Claire's eye as she looked up she grinned and turned to the movie. Claire smiled back, though it was strained. Seeing her sister and her nephews was great, and she wished she'd visited sooner. But as much as she tried to stay positive, it also hurt. She wished things could be like this all the time. She missed feeling close to someone, not being so alone. 

And truth be told, she envied her older sister. She secretly always had. Yes, she'd had what she'd believed to be an amazing job, she did very well for herself financially. Claire was successful. But Karen was happy. She'd settled down, got married, had a family. It was something Claire had always secretly wanted. Okay, maybe not the divorce part. But she wanted a family. People she could call her own, who she could come home to. She had friends, and a fulfilling job, but something was missing. But she'd lost that chance.

Sighing quietly, she turned back to the tv, only half focused on the film.

Her sleep that night was fitful, but still miles better than normal. So she was quite annoyed when her phone rang at 8:30am, jolting her awake. Groaning, she reached for her phone, squinting at the screen. Not recognizing the number, she was tempted to let it go to voicemail. 

'But what if it's important? It might be work.'

Sighing, she swiped the green button and pressed the phone to her ear, mumbling, "Claire Dearing."

She would admit that she didn't really pay attention as the man on the other line was introducing himself, but she was wide awake after hearing "speak with you about Isla Nublar."

"Yes, of course."

“Yes, well we've looked into the research you were able to send us, and we consulted with some of our wildlife conservationists as well as our environmental specialists, and we believe you may be onto something. Our security contractors flew over the island and spotted even more affected animals than you were able to with what little cameras are accessible to you now."

Claire gasped, pressing her hand to her mouth. Her heart was racing. 

"After much debating, we've come to the conclusion that all endangered species deserve the same protections, the animals on Isla Nublar being no exception."

She couldn't believe her ears. "Wait, so you're saying..."

"We've been given permission. You'll receive the funding needed for your operation. We will provide the teams necessary, but we'd like to discuss the details in person. We were hoping for a meeting next week."

"Yes! Of course. Anytime is perfect."

"Great," he said. 

They scheduled the meeting for next Friday morning to give the DPG plenty of time to get their reports and information together. Her hands were shaking as she entered the meeting into her calendar. Drawing in a shaky breath, she climbed out of bed and made her way downstairs still in her pajamas. 

"Morning," Karen said, not looking up from the paper. When Claire didn't respond, she looked at her, eyes widening as she saw the expression on her sister's face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I..." Her eyes stung as she stared at her sister, not quite knowing what to say. "We did it. They're... they're gonna save them." 

Karen frowned. "Who?"

"The dinosaurs, Karen. They're going to save them." A stray tear fell down her cheek and she swiped at it. 

Karen gasped. "Oh my god. Claire, that's great!" She jumped up and embraced the younger woman. "Honey, that's great. I know you've been fighting so hard for this."

Claire could feel herself crying but she didn't care. All she could feel was relief. It had all been worth it. She didn't let anyone down. 

They heard footsteps behind them and then a soft voice. "What's wrong? Why is Aunt Claire crying?"

Claire wiped her face on her sleeve and turned to her youngest nephew. "I got a call this morning. Guess what?"

"What?" He scrunched his face up as he looked at her.

"They're gonna help us save the dinosaurs." She watched for his reaction. She knew that despite what had happened, he still loved to learn and talk about the dinosaurs. They were still fascinating to him. But the ones that had caused him so much trauma and fear, she wasn't sure. They were real. The ones in his books weren't, his toys weren't going to try and eat him.

Gray stared at her. "Really?"

"Mhm." Biting her lip, she looked back at him. "What do you think?"

His lips curled into a smile and she was able to breathe again. "That's so cool!"

"You think so?"

"Yeah! I mean... they're scary. The park was scary. But the dinosaurs are just wild animals. It wasn't their fault."

She nodded her head, a bittersweet smile on her face. "Yeah. That's what I think too."

He opened his mouth, then closed it. Claire waited as he looked down at his hands, looking thoughtful. "Do you..." Gray looked at her. "Does this mean you have to go back to the island?"

Claire sighed. "I don't know, buddy. I don't know what's going on yet. I'll find out more next week, and I promise I'll let you and your mom know as much as I can, okay?"

He nodded, and sat down at the table. "Okay."

Zach joined them a bit later and it was another relaxed day. Her flight home was in the morning, and she decided to wait to inform everyone until she could do it in person. She did send out an email to all of her employees, notifying them of the meeting tomorrow afternoon so they would be there. 

But it was her last say with her family, and she was going to enjoy it. They had a lazy day, just spending time together. Even if Zach was on his phone most of the time, and Gray was asking her question after question that she didn't have the answers to, she still was grateful to be there. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a relaxing day. Didn't want to remember. 

Claire said her goodbyes to Zach and Gray that night before bed. Her flight was early enough that she didn't want to make them get up just to drop her off at the airport. 

She hugged Gray and ruffled his hair once more.

"Bye Aunt Claire. I love you."

She smiled, and gave him another squeeze before letting go. "Love you too."

Zach surprised her by giving her a hug as well, and said his goodbyes as well. 

Making sure that everything was packed other than her essentials for the morning, she climbed into bed, and was able to fall asleep quickly despite the nerves running through her body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here's chapter 2! I did my best to check for errors but a lot of it was typed on my phone so please forgive any typos. I hope you enjoyed! As always, kudos and comments are appreciated! I'd love to hear your thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big meeting! What is their plan for Jurassic World?

The sun was barely coming up over the horizon when they pulled into the airport parking lot. The pair of women walked slowly toward the large, busy building, wanting to prolong their time together as much as possible. But all too soon, they'd reached security and Claire had to say goodbye to her sister. 

Karen pulled her into a tight hug, sighing as she rested her head on Claire's shoulder. "I'm really glad you came to visit."

She nodded, smiling. "Me too. I missed you guys."

Karen pulled back to look at her. "I missed you too. And so did the boys. They ask about you a lot, you know."

"They do?" That surprised her 

"They do." Her sister sighed again. "Look, I'm not sure what's going on with all this dinosaur stuff, but promise me you'll keep me updated, okay?"

"I will, I promise." And she meant it.

"And please be safe." Claire nodded. "Maybe you can come visit again after it's all over, maybe around Christmas?"

Claire smiled and nodded her head as she grabbed the handle of her suitcase. "I'd like that."

They said goodbye and shared another hug before Claire had to get into line at security. Slipping her shoes off, she set them on the conveyor belt and pushed away the sadness she felt watching her sister walk away and out of sight.

The flight was uneventful and just a few hours later she was in her apartment, changing into work clothes and gathering the paperwork she had lying around her apartment. The meeting with her employees was only an hour away, and she wanted to get there early.

Zia hugged her as she walked in, following her to her office. "I know I'm the one who insisted you leave, but please never do it again. Franklin is driving me up the wall."

Claire chuckled as she sat down at her desk, pulling out her laptop. *I was gone for three days, Zia. Three days."

The other girl rolled her eyes. "How was your trip by the way?"

"It was really nice, actually. I've missed them."

Zia grinned. "So what I'm hearing is that I get to say 'I told you so'."

Tossing a pen at her, Claire scrolled through the emails she'd received so far that morning. "I don't know what you're talking about." She checked the time. "Is everyone here?"

Zia huffed and peeked her head out of the office, counting the heads in the room. "Uh, yeah I think that's everyone. Even Jake is here, and he's never on time."

She nodded with a smile. Not even Zia knew why she had called an emergency meeting. Carrying her laptop with her, and a stack of papers in one hand, she made her way back into the main room of their headquarters. She moved to the front of the room, taking a deep breath. Her fingers were shaking slightly as she opened her laptop, pulling up the list of notes made, topics to address with her team. She cleared her threat and they all turned to look at her expectantly. 

"Good morning everyone," she greeted them. "Thank you for being here, I know some of you weren't planning on coming in today." She saw a few people nod. "But I promise that today will be worth it." They stared at her, waiting. 

Claire smiled at all of them, then looked at Zia, who sat in front of her on one of the desks. "I received a call yesterday, with some very exciting news." She took a deep breath, the words not sounding real to her as they came out of her mouth. "The government has come to an agreement, and it’s been decided that the dinosaurs will be given the same protection as any other endangered species. We've been given the funding we need to relocate the dinosaurs. We did it, you guys."

"Are you serious?" Zia questioned.

Claire nodded. "Yes. They've given us permission to continue, and we'll be given all the funding we need, as now it's being considered a conservational operation. I don't have all the details yet, all I know is that we've been allocated the funds, and that they'll be supplying several teams of people who will be in charge of the actual capturing and relocation."

"Oh my god."

"No way."

"Holy shit."

The people in the room were just as stunned as she'd been. They'd been fighting for the better part of the last year and it was finally coming to a head. It didnt feel real, and it hadn't entirely sunk into Claire either, what all it meant. But she didn't care. They'd done it. They'd actually done it. 

Zia jumped up and hugged her tightly, laughing incredulously. "Holy shit, dude."

Claire laughed and hugged her, patting her back before turning back to the crowd of people staring at her. "So, like I said, I don't know much. They wanted to speak more about in person. Next Friday we have a meeting with several military and government officials, their team of environmental specialists, and a few members of InGen Security's team who worked on the island before... well, before."

We'll need to have all of our research ready to present in case it's needed. Security footage, information on all the dinosaurs we've seen, anything on the island that could have caused it. All of our possible theories, everything. We need to give them as much information as possible to work with. Zia, I want you with me during the meeting, your veterinary expertise would be helpful."

Zia nodded her head. "Aye aye, cap'n."

Addressing the room once more, Claire gave them a list of the files she needed and reports she wanted filled out. She wanted as much as they could get together before the big meeting, anything that could make them more likely to succeed.

Though that first day was filled with mostly excited chattering and speculation, everyone too preoccupied to focus, the next day was much more productive and Claire was grateful. A lot was riding on this meeting. She knew the plan was going to happen either way, but she'd really like it if she were involved. Mostly. 

As Friday grew nearer, she could sense a change in the office, and in herself. Everyone seemed anxious, nervously trying to make sure they were as prepared as they could be with what little actual information they had. 

Claire had gone over the information again and again. She had it all memorized now from how much she'd studied it, but it made her feel better, more prepared. Calmer, and she didn't feel quite so shaken up.

That was, until her alarm woke her up Friday morning, and her stomach lurched as she realized what day it was. The meeting would be held at 10:00am, and Claire had rented out conference room. Their headquarters didn't have one, and she didn't want them to all have to sit at individual desks like children in school.

Once she was dressed for the day, she looked at herself in the mirror. She'd dressed more professionally than she did working for the DPG, and the reflection in the mirror was an almost haunting reminder of her days as Operations Manager. Her hair neatly styled, though it was longer now, and she didn't have it straightened. But the blouse, skirt, and blazer, was definitely something she would have worn back then and she wasn't sure she liked the similarity. 

Claire had offered to pick Zia up, so they could head to the meeting together, as she knew the brunette typically walked to work. Once both of them were in the car, they made their way to the conference room. Walking down the hallway, they shot each other nervous glances. The ride had been quiet, nerves and uncertainty taking over. Claire tried to calm herself with the knowledge that they were as prepared as they could have hoped to be. 

Entering the room, Claire nodded approvingly. The room was large, a long, dark wooden table occupying the center. A table sat against the wall opposite of the door, and she was pleased to see that the food she had ordered had been delivered. Several cartons of coffee, muffins, and various pastries were plated neatly on large platters. No one else had arrived yet, which wasn't surprising. They still had nearly an hour until the meeting began.

Mounted on the wall was a large television, and she set to work plugging in her laptop, making sure that she had everything ready. Claire had a thick folder of printed out reports that she set down on the table beside her laptop. Most of it was research they had put into the more likely causes of the dinosaurs’ condition, as well as the old health reports from the park that they had been able to access. Those didn't do much other than prove that this issue hadn't been present at the time of the park's closure. Still, Claire wanted to have as much information as possible. 

Sooner than she wanted, the time was 9:50am, and the two women were turning to the door as it opened. The man who entered smiled at them, and Claire moved forward, reaching her hand out. "Good morning, I'm Claire Dearing. This is my colleague, Zia Rodriguez."

He nodded his head, the genuine smile still in place on his face. "The paleoveterinarian, I’ve hear about you. Fascinating career choice. My name is James Howard, it's very nice to meet you." Shaking both of their hands, he gestured to the man who'd entered immediately after him. "My colleague here, Michael Rhodes, was the one who called you last week, Miss Dearing."

Claire smiled at the both of them. "I was very glad to receive your call, Mr. Rhodes. You've no idea what this means to us."

He gave them a quick smile and nod, heading for the coffee. "It was my pleasure."

The difference in the two men was very apparent to Claire. Rhodes was just as professional as he'd been on the phone, polite but his smile didn't reach his eyes. Mr. Howard, however, put her at ease. His smile was genuine and his eyes were kind. He was an older man, perhaps late fifties or early sixties. His dark brown skin was creased around his eyes and mouth, and his grip was gentle when he'd shaken her hand. 

"Please, Mr. Howard, feel free to help yourself to any of the refreshments. I'm sure the others will be arriving soon."

And they did. There were so many of them that there was no way Claire had any chance in remembering most of their names. They all had very impressive titles that ranged from high-ranking military leaders to very influential political figures. They were also joined by members of InGen's board of executives. Claire had been relieved to learn that the President of the company had been replaced. He was the man who Hoskins had worked underneath, the one wanting to test the raptors' success as living weaponry.   
  
Claire grabbed herself a cup of coffee, deciding to forego the food on account of the butterflies already occupying her stomach. Mr. Rhodes asked Claire and Zia to present them with the information that they had recorded first, and the meeting had begun.

"Right," she said, squaring her shoulders, addressing the room before her. Just like this morning, she was reminded of her old life, running and directing meetings with the heads of staff, investors. "So, as I'm sure you can imagine, with limited access to security cameras, our visibility of the animals is quite limited. However, with the footage we have been able to capture," she displayed a slideshow of images, "we've been able to study a few specimens enough to narrow down the cause of their deaths, at least some. Miss Rodriguez, our paleoveterinarian, was able to work out some of the symptoms displayed."

Claire turned to her friend who swallowed, smiling nervously as the attention shifted to her. She was a very outspoken woman, but there was a lot of pressure on this meeting, and she wasn't used to such a corporate setting. 

"Um, yeah. Like Claire -- I mean, like Miss Dearing said, I was able to determine a few symptoms that were displayed by many of the affected specimens. Diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting. Nost likely fever, but that's difficult to tell without examining them more closely. At first I thought it was maybe a virus, or some kind of infection. But it doesn't seem to be spread by contact, or I think it would have spread further by now. There have been a few herds near the center of the island that overlap with the infected animals and they seem to be fine."

Claire pulled up a map of the island, displaying marks where they had seen diseased dinosaurs. 

"The affected specimens are concentrated around the river, as most of the animals there use that as their main water source. Which is why I now think its some kind of bacteria or parasite in the water. Most can be passed through feces as well, which would explain the slow but definite spread inward as more of the animals migrate, and they would be exposed to that. If it was spread just by contact or proximity it would have spread faster."

One of the environmental protection specialists spoke up. "Which species are being affected the most?" she asked.

Claire responded, "We can't really know for sure until more surveillance is possible, but we've observed quite a few ankylosauruses, triceratops, and brachiosauruses, as well as a handful of pteranodons, as it seems they've been using the area just west of the river as their nesting grounds. One or two stegosauruses, and a few random cases in other species."

The woman nodded and scribbled notes down onto a mad of paper.

The next to speak was one of the military officials. She tried to remember what he'd introduced himself as. Peters was his name, right. She couldn't recall his rank clearly either, but she thought she might have remembered a sergeant in there somewhere. Or maybe it was General.

"That seems to be in line with that we've observed as well. We had a few members of a special task force do a preliminary observation of the island. Flying over it, they saw just about the same, ill herds all over the east side of the island, particularly toward the north. We spotted a number of deceased animals as well, particularly in the valley."

Rhodes nodded his head as he listened. Claire wasn't sure what to say next, and thankfully, after pondering in the information he'd heard for a few long moments, the man spoke.

"I'm impressed. That all seems to line up quite nicely, and I think our plan will still work out just fine." The whole room listened to him attentively. "So what we'd like is for us to initially send down just a few teams, one to secure the main street area and a clean up crew who can help clear some of the debris in that area. We'll need the hotel there to house the workers, and we need it accessible from the docks."

"The docks that we used for freight on the island should be more convenient than the ferry docks. It's closer to main street and more of a direct route," Claire informed them.

"I'll make note of that," Rhodes responded. "The other team will be repairing some of the buildings there, as we need power restored before we can fully begin this operation, and we'd prefer not to have broken windows in all of the buildings that will be utilized. Plus we need somewhere to store food and water, we’re hoping that the kitchens of the restaurants on Main Street are still in good condition."

Claire shuddered as the sounds of glass shattering and snapping jaws sounded in her head. The repair team definitely had their work ahead of them. 

This time it was Mr. Howard who spoke. "We'd like to have as much security as possible, and we'll be using the members of the task force mentioned earlier, as well as security teams from InGen, and members of their previous ACU unit. They still employ quite a few people who worked at the park beforehand, and that first-hand knowledge will be helpful."

Why they'd want to help after what happened to the other ACU officers was beyond her. 

"So those teams will be sent first, and once the path from the freight docks to main street is clear, and the buildings have been restored enough, and the area is secure, we'll be sending in the rest of our operatives. Tech teams, veterinary specialists, everybody else. Including a group to collect and test samples from the river, and from some of the animals if possible." The man cleared his throat. "Now, once power is restored, it'll be easier to access security cameras, but it will take a bit to get all of the parks systems up and running again. The networks are very well secured and they've been down for quite some time. But once we've accomplished that, this mission should be a bit easier. I believe the animals all had tracking implants, correct Miss Dearing?"

Nodding her head, she pulled out a list of the assets that had been present on the island. "Yes, every dinosaur in the park had a tracking implant. They should all still be functioning as they run off of body heat, and could run for years before needing to be replaced."

"Good, that's good. And how many cameras do you currently have access to?"

"About a dozen," she responded. "There was a backup power supply at the park that was activated when the rest of the park was shut down. It was only connected to the cameras at high risk points on the island, however. In case of an temporary evacuation or something, they would be able to monitor the situation for security purposes. The more dangerous species, so near the T-rex, raptor, Indominus, and carnotaurus' paddocks, the park's lab, a few along main street. Then near the entrance to the park, and the visitors center along the entry road."

One of the reps from InGen nodded. "We'd like access to those so we can monitor the site while the area is still being secured."

"Yes, of course."

Rhodes looked her in the eye and she tensed at the look on his face. "As we've agreed, first-hand knowledge of the island is something that will be very beneficial for this mission. We need someone who knows the park well, and can help oversee some of the operations. Someone who also know the park's computer systems well would be nice. And that's why we'd like you to be one of the people going along on this mission."

Why was it so hard to breathe all of a sudden? She's had a feeling this was coming. She just couldn't tell whether she was relieved at not being excluded from the project she'd been gunning for nonstop, or repulsed, never wanting to step foot back on that fucking island as long as she lived. Maybe it was a bit of both, she settled with. 

Claire chanced a glance at Zia who was watching her. The brunette reached over and grabbed her hand, giving her the encouragement she needed. Smiling at her friend, she squeezed her hand back and looked back at Rhodes. "Yes Sir. I'd like to help however I can."

He nodded his head. "Glad to hear. Is there anyone else you can think of that you worked with who would be beneficial to bring along?"

Her mind jumped back to her days as Operations Manager. There weren't many people she worked with on a consistent basis other than Zara, her assistant, and Masrani, her boss. But both of them had been victims of the tragedy that had taken place. Claire had spent a lot of time in her office, and in meetings. When she wasn't she'd been in the control room. And nobody in there had been much of any help during in incident, other than...

"Lowery. Lowery Cruthers. He worked in the control room, he's very familiar with the computer and tracking systems."

Rhodes nodded and jotted down his name. 

Howard smiled at her and she found that it calmed her down a bit. "We're going to try and contact some of the park's employees to see if anyone is willing to help out. And as you've been running the campaign for this, we'd like to give you the opportunity to bring along a small team of people from your organization, anyone you think might be of help."

"Oh, that's great." Her first thought was of Zia. She'd have to talk to her first though. Studying the dinosaurs was different than being face to face with them. Though judging by the tugging of their hands that were still clasped together, she probably could guess her answer. "I can contact you with a list within the next few days, if that's alright."

"That's perfect."

The rest of the meeting was spent discussing details that didnt really concern Claire personally, but she did her best to pay attention regardless. But it was getting difficult. It was all quite overwhelming and she wasn't sure what she thought of any of it. 

For the next while she listened as they hashed out the rest of their schedule for the operation, Claire and Zia chiming in here and there when their opinion was needed. 

Finally, _finally_ , the meeting was adjourned, and one by one the group of people all said goodbye, shook hands, and went on their way. She was touched when Mr. Howard made a point to thank her, wishing her good luck. That's when she realized who he reminded her of, why he made her feel so at ease. His mannerisms and kind smile greatly resembled her grandfather, a man who Claire was very close with as a young child. She smiled.

When everyone had left she turned to Zia, her eyes wide. "I..."

Zia laughed, running a hand through her hair. "Fuck. This is really happening, isn't it?"

Claire nodded. "I guess so."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yes. Of course! I'm just in shock I think," she said. "This is all just... a lot. I never... I never thought I'd be going back."

Zia gave her an understanding smile. "Yeah. But it'll be different this time. There will be tons of security."

She didn't mention how they'd had plenty last time, and they'd all ended up in pieces. But maybe she was right. There was no Indominus Rex this time around. If they were able to subdue the T-rex, they might actually be able to do this. "Yeah, you're right." She tried to tell herself that was true.

Zia grinned. "Sooooo... who are ya thinkin' of bringing?"

This time Claire did smile. "Well I was thinking it would be nice to have a vet on hand," she said, watching the other woman's reaction. 

Zia bounced on her toes. "Yes!"

"Really?"

"Are you kidding me? It's been my dream my whole life to see a dinosaur in person. And if I can actually help treat them? God, it would be a dream come true."

"Then it's settled. You'll be coming with me. And I was thinking Franklin too. He's really skilled with computers and IT stuff."

Zia groaned, though playfully. She really did like the young man, but she'd never admit that. 

Claire chuckled and helped Zia clean up the room, not wanting to leave much of a mess for the cleaning crew. Thankfully she'd scheduled the room for long enough that they had plenty of time. Which was good, because she was definitely taking her time. There were too many thoughts, too many questions swimming around in her head 

Was she really back going to the island? What would it be like after so long? Would they actually be able to do it? Would she be able to? Did she even want to? 

She didn't know if she could, to be honest. She thought about all the hours she'd spent, wrapped in strong arms, sobbing, blaming herself for everything that had happened. Nightmare after nightmare, she couldn't escape from what had happened. Now, a year later, and she wasn't any better off, perhaps even worse. Instead, now, she just didn't have anybody to hold her, to comfort her, and help quiet her raging thoughts. She was alone.

Claire sighed, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Whether she thought she could or not, she had to try.mWhat kind of person would she be to back out now, when she could help make such a difference in the world?

She wanted to go home, and go to bed. But she had responsibilities, as Zia reminded her. So, they headed to headquarters, and Claire was forced to relay the whole meeting for everyone so they were all on the same page.

“The first round of workers will arrive on the island on the first of the month, and myself, Zia, and rest of the workers will ship out 2 weeks later.”

They all seemed just as shocked as she felt as they disbanded with a promise of her keeping them updated. 

“Hey Franklin? Could you meet me in my office?”

He looked up at her with wide eyes, nodding his head. “Yeah, sure thing.”

Zia bumped her hip with her own as they entered the smaller room. “He’s not gonna like this, you know?”

Claire sighed. “Yeah.” Turning to Franklin, she smiled at him. “Hey. How you doing?”

”I will... get back to you on that. This is... a lot.”

”It is. I’m not really sure what to expect.” She sighed, deciding to get straight to the point. “So, I was given the chance to put together a group of people to take with me, with us, to the park. And I wanted to ask you if that’s something you’d want to be a part of. I think your skills could really come in handy getting our systems online, and maintaining them.”

If she wasn’t so nervous herself, she would have laughed at the way his eyes bugged. “M-me? Me? You want _me_ to go to an island infested with dinosaurs? I’m just the computer guy!”

”I’d love to have you on board,” she responded honestly. “You’ve been a very valuable worker and I think that would be true at the park as well. You can just sleep in the control room if that makes you feel better,” she joked, smirking.

Franklin swallowed hard, looking back at her. He didn’t laugh. “How long would we be there for?”

Claire sighed. “I don’t really know for sure, but they’re thinking 4-6 weeks, maybe more.”

He nodded.

“And when would we be leaving?”

”The 15th of next month, as long as everything goes to plan.”

The two women watched as he chewed his lip, thinking hard, his face creased into a frown.Claire watched him anxiously, fidgeting with her hands. Zia was about to interrupt him when, at last, he opened his mouth to answer. “Fine. I’ll do it. But I swear to god, if I get eaten by a T-Rex, it’s your fault, and I _will_ haunt your ass.”

A heavy pit settled in her stomach. “I’m... you don’t have to go.”

Her protest fell on deaf ears as the two others started bickering back and forth.

”As if you had enough meat on your bones to be worth eating,” Zia rolled her eyes.

Claire sat down in her chair, doing her best to keep a straight face. He hadn’t meant that, had he? She doubted it, but couldn’t shake the thought that it was true. He was her employee, she was bring him along. She was responsible for him, and if anything happened to him, it was on her. ‘Just like the rest of them,’ she reminded herself. The dozens of people that died on that day... their deaths were hanging over her head and she wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. No, she’d make sure of it. Nobody else was going to die on her watch. She wouldn’t survive that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 3! I hope you guys enjoyed! Thank you so much for the kudos!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little glimpse into the past, and a fateful phone call.
> 
> I have a playlist of songs I listen to when I write this, and I'm gonna be including pieces of some of them in certain chapters. I highly recommend this song, the piano version is the one I listen to.

'I fell by the wayside like everyone else,  
I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, but was just kidding myself,  
Our every moment, I start to replace,  
Cause now that they're gone, all I hear are the words that I needed to say,  
When you hurt under the surface,  
Like troubled water running cold,  
Well, time can heal, but this won't'  
Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi

_She was running, sprinting as hard as she could, but she wasn't moving fast enough. The icy rain was soaking her to the core, her clothes heavy with water, weighing her down. Wet strands of hair clung to her face as she pushed herself to move faster through the thick trees, somehow able to dodge the low branches even in the dark._

_Her heart was pounding nearly as loud as the echoing thumps of the heavy feet chasing after her. The low, snarling, growls were loud, even over the pounding rain. Chills went down her spine and the hairs on her neck had long been standing at attention. Trees, snapping like tiny twigs under its strength, echoed through the forest"_

_She resisted the urge to look behind her, not trusting herself not to trip and fall in thick brush at her feet. No, she had to keep going. She couldn't stop for anything. Bad things would happen if she did._

_A sob escaped her mouth her mouth, her lungs burning and her legs aching. She needed to find somewhere to hide, or the thing would catch her._

_There was a light up ahead._

Oh thank god.

_Forcing her legs to move even faster, she stumbled and nearly fell, but was able to regain her balance. She ran and ran but the light wasn't getting any closer._

_"Please!" she screamed desperately, hot tears mixing with the cool rain droplets on her cheeks. "Please!"_

_Just when she thought she couldn't go any farther, about to give herself up, the light ahead of her suddenly grew until she couldn't see, blinded by its brilliance. She clenched her eyes shut, running blindly, until she realized that somehow, it wasn't raining anymore. Opening her eyes, she scrunched her eyes up in confusion._

_"Where...?"_

_She was in a park. It was warm and sunny, a sharp contrast to where she was just seconds ago. And in the field in front of her, seated on a large picnic blanket, was her family and friends. Karen and the boys were joined by Zia and Franklin, and even Lowery was seated among them. She couldn't hear them, but could see the smiles and laughter in their faces. Claire nearly smiled._

_But then she heard the loud snapping behind her again, followed by the ground shaking beneath her feet, and froze. "No," she whispered. Not here. Not them. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" she pleaded, taking off running once again._

_"Run!" She screamed as loud as she could, but they didn't even hear her. "Please, run! Go!" Again, they didn't so much as look her way._

_It grew closer and closer. She wasn't going to make it. Why can't they hear me?_ I need them to hear m _e. It was too close, she could feel its hot, thick breath on the back of her neck._

_Unable to move any further, her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground. On her knees, she heaved a sob, bending over onto her elbows, trying to breathe. This was it. She closed her eyes once more as the beast was upon her now, steeling herself for what she knew was coming. Wouldn't it be ironic to die like this?_

_But the snap of those impossibly strong jaws didn't come, and she looked up, watching in horror as the Indominus Rex trotted forward, right past her. Her hand clapped over her mouth as the creature ran right for her family._

_"No!" She tried to get up, tried to move, but it was like there was something weighing her down. She couldn't stand, she couldn't look away, she couldn't close her eyes. "Please, please, no! No, not them! Take me!"_

_Nobody heard her._

_Claire sobbed in despair as the beast opened its mouth, razor sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight._

_Karen was first. It grabbed her, shaking her like she was nothing more than a toy, before throwing her to the ground. Then Zia. Its bloody jaws closed around her swiftly, and Claire wished she couldn't hear the sick snapping of bone. She knew that was a sound she would never forget._

_Claire wailed and screamed and pleaded, sobbing so hard she couldn't breathe, tears and snot dripping down her face. She wanted to close her eyes but something wouldn't let her. She was forced to watch as Zach, then Gray, then Franklin and Lowery were taken from her. Their mutilated bodies lay on the ground as the Indominus turned and looked right at Claire. It looked like it was smiling, blood dripping from its teeth._

_Then it turned and ran off into the woods, and she could move again._

_Scrambling to her feet, she rushed over to the blanket that was now soaked red, the dismembered bodies of her loved ones scattered about._

_"N-no! Please, no!" Her hands covered her face as she cried so hard she nearly vomited._

_Looking back down, the next sob froze in her chest. Now there was another body in front of her. And another. Was that Hamada? One by one, the pile of bodies grew and grew until she was surrounded by them. The ringing in her ears had never been louder as she spotted two of them, looking at her lifelessly. Zara and Simon._

_It was them. All of the people who died at Jurassic World._

_"How could you do this?"_

_This time she really thought she was going to throw up. No, it couldn't be. It couldn't._

_But she would recognize that voice anywhere. It haunted her dreams, her thoughts, her daydreams. She couldn't mistake it for anybody else._

_Spinning around, her worst fears were confirmed._

_"How could you do this?" he repeated. "They're all dead because of you!"_

_Her heart twisted at the disgust and disappoint on his face, expression twisted in anger. "Owen, I--"_

_"You killed them. All of them! It's all your fault Claire!"_

_Gasping for breath, she couldn't speak. All that came out was stutters. She only knew one thing, and that was that she would rather be dead than see that look on his because of her. "O-Owen, please--"_

_"It was all your fault."_

Claire jolted awake in bed, gasping for breath for a few seconds before her body was wracked in sobs, her mouth open in a silent scream. And before she knew it, she was scrambling out of bed and to the bathroom, hurling into the toilet. She heaved until her stomach was empty, and bile burned her throat.

Gasping for breath, she sat back on the cool tiles, leaning her head against the wall, crying so hard that her whole body shook. Fuck, she was tired of living like this. 

Once she was certain that she was done vomiting, she brushed teeth, wiping her face as she walked back to her bed. Looking at the clock, when sighed. 4:06am.

Biting her lip, she eyed her phone sitting on her nightstand. It was 6 in Wisconsin, and it was a Tuesday. Her sister would be awake.

Karen answered on the third ring. "Hello? Claire? Is everything okay?"

More tears threatened to fall at the sound of her sisters voice, and she closed them, taking in a deep, shuddering breath.

"Claire? Are you there?"

"I'm here," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay. But now I'm worried. Are you okay, hon?"

No. "Are the boys okay?" 

"The boys? They're fine, just asleep, I'm about to wake them up for school." Claire nodded. "What's wrong, honey? You're scaring me a little."

She sniffled. "Nothing," she said, and even she could hear how fake it sounded. "I just... bad dream."

Karen sighed, and when she woke again her voice was soft. "I'm sorry, Claire. Is there anything I can do?"

"Can you just stay on the phone with me for a few minutes?" She closed her eyes, hating how pathetic she sounded. 

"Of course, sweetie." She heard rustling in the background. "Was there anything you wanted to talk about?"

Her mind flashed back to her dream and she quickly shook her head, absolutely not wanting to discuss it. "No. How's work going?"

"Busy," Karen chuckled. "They better give me a damn raise with everything I've been putting up with."

"I'm sorry, Kar."

"Eh, it's fine. I don't mind staying busy but I dont wanna spend my time at home on the phone, I wanna spend time with my boys, I wanna relax."

"Yeah." She could feel her breath evening out, her pulse slowing back down to normal as she listened to her sister speak. 

"Anyway, you didn't call to listen to me complain about work," Karen said a couple minutes later. "I'm about to go get the boys up, do you wanna talk to Gray for a minute? I'd say you could talk to Zach too, but he's a grump in the mornings."

Claire smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that."

A minute later she heard a familiar, but sleepy voice. "Hi Aunt Claire."

"Morning, Gray." She hadn't realized how much she needed to hear that he was okay until her body relaxed at the sound of his voice. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good! I had a dream that we got a puppy. But mom won't let us get one," he pouted and she chuckled. "Why are you up so early?"

"Oh," she responded. "Um, just for work. I have to go in early today." She didn't like lying to him, but she wasn't about to dump her problems on a twelve year old boy. 

"Cool! Are you leaving soon?"

"Yeah, just a few weeks."

"Do you think you can send us pictures? I wanna see what it looks like now."

She smiled despite the pit in her stomach at the mention of their mission. "Yeah, I'll send you tons." 

"Awesome!"

Claire closed her eyes. "I should let you get ready for school," she told him sadly. 

"Okay, I should give Mom her phone back" he answered, and she smiled at the sad tone to his voice. "Love you."

"I love you too, buddy. And hey, I'll work on your mom about that puppy, okay?"

He cheered, and she chuckled as they hung up. 

Feeling a little bit better, she changed out of her sweaty tank top and into a clean shirt. She didn't quite feel safe enough going back to sleep, and she didn't have to be in the office until the late morning. Sighing, she grabbed her laptop and distracted herself with whatever she could. 

Around 8am she received an email from James Howard, notifying her that the first cargo ship had just left Costa Rica, all of the initial equipment and personnel on board. They were due to arrive that afternoon. 

It had been almost 3 weeks since the meeting with all of the people in charge of this mission, and it was going by all to quickly in Claire's opinion. In just two weeks she'd be in the same position, on her way to Isla Nublar. The last weeks had been spent at DPG headquarters, gathering all of the last minute information they could. Only some of the staff was actually in-office though, since they no longer needed anyone for campaigning or community outreach. All employees would still be paid through the end of the mission though. 

The office was much quieter and it was relaxing. In the end, Claire hadn't asked anyone else other than Zia and Franklin to join the project. She figured that between the InGen and the military, really everything else was covered and taken care of. 

At headquarters, later that afternoon, she sat at her desk, trying to focus on her laptop screen, but the words kept blurring together.

A loud snap made her look up at Zia, who sat across from her. "Hellooooo... are you even listening?"

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "I was talking to you. What's up with you anyway? You've been acting weird all day."

Claire plastered on a smile. "I'm fine, just tired is all."

"Well, you'd better wake up because youre coming over tonight."

"What are you talking about?"

Zia grinned. "Pizza and wine and movies at my place tonight. You can't say no. It's a Friday, we aren't working tomorrow. We can be hungover in peace."

She wanted to say no. Really, all she wanted was to go home and sleep, but the memory of last night was enough to throw that thought out. And Zia was looking st her with such a hopeful hopeful smile that instead, she sighed and relented. "Okay. That sounds fun."

And in a way it did. But she must have forgotten that being wine drunk made her weepy though, because that night, her and Zia sat on the couch, an empty wine bottle and a half onte table in front of them, crying at the end credits of a rom-com. The other woman passed her a box of tissues and she pulled one out, blowing her nose. 

"I hate these stupid movies." She sniffled.

"No you don't," muttered Zia as she wiped her face. "I just want someone who's romantic like that. Why are people like that so hard to find?"

"Because they're fictional," answered Claire, taking a swig from the open bottle. 

"I'm tired of going on dates."

Claire smirked. "What happened this time?"

"She fucking stood me up! Can you believe that?"

"That bitch!" shouted Claire, taking another gulp. 

"I know! I don't get it! I'm hot, I'm funny, I'm a doctor for fuck's sake."

Claire sighed and passed her the bottle. "People just suck."

"Yeah." Zia chugged some of the wine. "When was the last time you went on a date?" She nudged her.

Claire stiffened. "It's been... a while."

"How long is a while?"

She smiled humorlessly. "A year and four months."

"Damn. Was the date really that bad?" Zia laughed. 

Claire looked down at ther hands. In retrospect, it wasn't the worst date she had ever been on. "Yes and no."

The brunette had noticed here change in tone. "Sorry. We don't have to talk about it."

"No, it's... it's fine. I've just never really told anyone about it."

"Well, if you wanna talk about it, it's easier when you're drunk."

She snorted, nodding as she tipped her head back, downing the rest of the bottle. Before she could second guess herself, she opened her mouth. "His name was Owen. He worked at the park as a raptor trainer."

"Holy shit. That's insane."

"Yeah, it was. Anyway, we went on one date, and it was a trainwreck. First of all, she showed up in _board shorts_. And it was all just downhill from there." She picked at the label on the now empty bottle. 

"He showed up to a date with _the_ Claire Dearing in board shorts?" Zia cackled. 

She nodded. "Yeah, it didnt work out. Back then, I was very..." Bitchy. "Uptight and organized. He was more the spontaneous type."

"I bet that drove you crazy."

A grin curled her lips. "It did. We never had a second date. But he... he was the one who helped save my nephews that day, and me. He's the reason we all made it out alive."

Zia didn't respond, and Claire wasn't sure she'd be able to shut her mouth if she tried at this point. "When we came home from the island, we never left each other's side. We were both having nightmares, and flashbacks, and it just. It really helped having someone there who understood what it was like, you know? We stuck together." _For survival_ , he had said.

Zia watched her for a moment. "What happened?"

"I was scared," Claire answered honestly. "I didn't let him in. He wanted more, I think, at least. _I_ wanted more, but... I just couldn't. He was so different and I was just. Too scared. I hate change," She sighed. "That's when you contacted me about Nublar, and I wanted to help. He didn't want anything to do with it. And it all just fell apart." She laughed bitterly. 

_"You've gotta be kidding me!"_

_"I can't just let them die Owen!" she'd screamed. I've let_ enough people die, _she thought._

_"Yes you can! Claire, please, I can't!"_

_"I'm going."_

_"Please don't."_

_She gritted her teeth. "I'm going Owen, I have to. You can stay here, I don't care." The words tasted bitter on her lips._

_"I won't make you stay, but don't lie to me Claire. That's not why you're really leaving."_

_She stared at him. Did he know? No, he couldn't. It didn't matter, anyway. She never should have let herself stay this long. Before she could stop herself, she laughed, but there was no trace of humor on either of their faces. "You're right, that's not the only reason. Did you really think I was just gonna drive around in a van with you forever, Owen? I'm not some pathetic fucking bum!"_

_The hurt in his eyes as he stared at her, stricken, standing still, made her hate herself even more. But she couldn't stay here any longer. "I'm going."_

_He didn't try to stop her that time._

Claire stood from the couch, her cheeks flushed from the conversation and the wine. Tears pricked at her eyes but she begged them to go away. Zia didn't need to see her cry.

She hadn't talked about Owen to anyone except Karen, and even she didn't know all the details.

Pouring a glass of ice water, she chugged it before pouring another and going back to the couch. She didn't really want to, but the wine was making it hard to stand up. 

Zia had her chin propped up on her elbow. "You know," she mused. "I've always believed that things happen for a reason. And I think that whatever is meant to happen, will happen."

Claire gave her a sad smile. "Thanks."

Zia sighed, going to the fridge, coming back with beer. "Let's watch another movie. And no rom-com this time."

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

They were indeed very hungover the next day. They spent it lazing around Zia's apartment, and despite the night before, Claire was relaxed. She liked having company. To say she wasn't looking forward to going back to her empty apartment was an understatement. 

She occupied herself the next few days making sure she had everything prepared for the journey ahead of her. Passing up all of her more professional clothing, she stuck to more practical items. Running from a dinosaur in a skirt and heels was something she never wanted to experience again. 

Everyone had been advised to bring sufficient clothing and toiletries, none of them really knowing what to expect in the way of washing clothing and such. 

_At least we'll have running water_ , she reminded herself. The plumbing in the buildings hadn't suffered much damage at all, she'd been informed, and it was to be up and running along with the electricity.

Her suitcase was soon filled just over halfway with a handful of jeans, shorts, shirts, and a jacket. She turned and looked at her closet, then her dresser. Sighing, she ran her hands through her hair. All that was left in her wardrobe were slacks and dress clothes. A shopping trip was in order. She called Zia and Franklin, and they all decided to go together the next afternoon after work.

As it turned out, none of them were quite prepared. After a few different stops, the trunk of her was filled with a collection of cargo pants, more jeans, some basic shirts, boots, work socks, and anything else they could find that they needed. 

"I think there's a sports gear store over there," Franklin pointed. 

"Oh, perfect." Finding a parking spot near the entrance, Claire pulled in and stopped the car. 

Everybody would be given an emergency kit once they arrived on Isla Nublar, but she always preferred to be over-prepared. She recalled the few times she'd gone camping as a kid with her father and Karen.

When she was nine, they'd been staying at a campsite that backed up to a thick expanse of forest. Their dad was busy tending to the campfire, and Karen was shadowing him.

Claire was bored and she was tired of camping. She'd been looking around for flowers when she'd spotted a baby bunny not too far away, hopping through the short grass into the tree line. She took off after it, chasing it into the woods, not bothering to remembering which way she came from. It only took a minute for her to get lost.

Her Dad, Karen, and a ranger had found her just over an hour later, sitting on the ground in tears, crying for her mom. 

That was the last time she'd gone camping. And while she didn't consider being on the island camping, she still didn't want to be caught unprepared. 

In the large warehouse store, her cart was filled with a large backpack, a pocket knife, a flashlight, a camping lantern, a multitool, a water purifier straw, batteries, a poncho, a first aid kit, and a few others odds and ends. Over at the glass counter, she purchased a larger knife and a sheath she could attach to her belt. 

When she was back at her apartment, she unpackaged and neatly arranged all of it into the backpack with a spare outfit and a few bottles of water, along with some nonperishable food. She tossed in a few hair ties and bobby pins into one of the small pouches, deciding that was good enough. The rest of her new clothes were added to her suitcase along with a few pairs of pajamas. Her duffel bag was filled with socks, underwear, bras, and toiletries. Bottles of shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, soap, essentially anything that she didn't need in the next week and a half was tossed in. The rest would be added the day they left.

She surveyed her room, trying to see if there was anything else she might want to wake. Looking in her closet, not much was left. The weather could be unpredictable on the island, and she was sure they were to expect quite a bit of rain while they were there, but it would also be quite warm and humid. She was just thankful that she'd most likely be spending much of her time indoors, so she shouldn't have to worry too much about dressing for the weather. Sighing, she grabbed two sundresses from her collection that were still nice enough that she could wear them to work, or just on her days off. _If she had any._

That topped off the last of her packing, and she closed up her suitcase, setting it against the wall. The backpack was zipped up and set next to it. The duffel bag was placed beside the foot of her bed, and she laid a note on top of the last minute items she would need to pack. 

Her phone rang, startling her from where she stood, rereading her list. Expecting to see Karen's picture, she frowned when an unknown number was displayed on her screen. 

Picking it up, she swiped and held the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, I'm calling for Claire Dearing?" a woman said.

"Yes, I'm Claire Dearing."

"Perfect. I'm calling from the office of Michael Rhodes, I'm his assistant Jane Peters."

"Oh. Is everything okay?" He normally just emailed her. 

"Well, we've been contacting past employees of the Masrani Corporation to see if anyone is interested in being a part of our efforts. Unfortunately, none of them have agreed, either than a Mr. Cruthers, whom I believe you recommended for the job."

"Yes, I did." Claire was surprised he was willing to go back.

"Right. Employees of InGen who were stationed at the park have also been contacted, and a few have accepted, in addition to the ACU officers. There's one employee, however, that Mr. Rhodes and the head of InGen have both requested be on site, but we've been unable to contact him. Mr. Owen Grady?"

Her breath hitched in her throat at the sound of his name. Her room was suddenly much warmer.

"His phone may have been disconnected, as we've tried calling him many times but we've been unable to reach him as I mentioned."

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "If you can't reach him, then why are you calling me?" Claire winced, her voice sounding harsher than she'd meant it to. But if the woman on the other line noticed, she didn't show it.

"We were hoping that you would have a way if contacting him, since you're listed as his emergency contact."

Her eyes opened as her brow furrowed in confusion. "What? Are you sure?"

"Yes, Ma'am, you are his emergency contact. So, like I said, Mr. Rhodes was hoping you would be able to contact him. He and InGen agree that his involvement is vital to capturing one of the species on Isla Nublar."

Blue.

"I don't have another phone number for him," she answered slowly, her stomach churning. "But I think I know how to reach him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos! They mean so much! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, I had a good time writing it. I'm starting the next one right when I post this!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter, but we finally get to meet a very special someone ;)

'Would we be better off by now  
If I'd have let my walls come down?  
Maybe, I guess we'll never know  
You know,   
You know'  
Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi

  
Leaning up to look at her reflection in the rearview mirror for the hundredth time in the last hour, Claire sighed. She resisted the urge to comb her bangs down with her fingers again. 

"This is stupid," she muttered to herself, drumming her thumbs restlessly on the steering wheel. The drive had dragged on endlessly, and even though she was nearing her destination, that knowledge did nothing to settle her nerves. In fact, it just made it worse.

Hoping that music would help, she reached down and fiddled with the radio, finally settling on a random station. Not doing much to settle her anxiety, the familiar music still helped her breathe easier.

That was, until she turned and took the exit off the highway, pulling through the small town that was settled there. The narrow, windy road led her through the stunning scenery, tall trees and pastures lining the sides of the road. There was a large field and she could see a small group of horses grazing on the green grass. She noticed a few small family farms, catching sight of a few goats and chickens as well.

Claire made another turn, heading left down another, even narrower, road. The trees were dense here, the mountainside geography much less flat. Movement caught her eye and she look to her right, surprised to see a deer crossing the road, running off into the thicket of evergreens. She stared, not used to being quite so close to wildlife. It's not like wild deer just walked the streets in San Francisco. Shaking her head, she continued on, making sure to drive slowly in case another one came, but nothing ever came.

_Only one turn left._

Her palms were sweaty and she clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering. It was too late to turn around now, and she owed them this much, at least.

The last turn was made and she followed the street to a large lot of lush grass. She'd only been there once, but it still looked different. The familiar trailer was parked in the grass, the sight of it filling her with an odd mix of warm nostalgia and grief. This time, however, to the left of the trailer there was a cabin. Or rather, there was the skeleton of one, its frame taking up a large chunk of the space. Upon a ladder, there was a man, laying boards along what would be the roof of a porch, hammering them in place. 

He didn't look up as she parked the car, willing herself to climb out. Pulling her black coat around her torso, she slowly made her way closer. His soft voice only made the lump in her throat grow a thousand times bigger, as his singing carried over to her. She recognized the song, it was one he liked to sing while working, whether he was building something, working on his trailer, or cooking in the kitchen. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to remember their nights in the kitchen of her old apartment, a beer bottle in her hand as she watched him dance around the room, confidently putting a meal together for the two of them. 

The pounding of the hammer made her open her eyes. Before she could turn on her heel and speed away, she took another step forward and opened her mouth. 

"O-Owen?" Her voice was timid, unsure, too quiet for him to hear. Louder then, "Owen."

She knew he heard her when he stopped hammering, straightening his posture. Slowly, he turned his head to face her, his face unreadable. The two of them simply stared at each other until Claire broke the thick silence. 

"Can... can we talk?" She bit her lip.

Watching her for a few more long seconds, Owen let out a slow sigh, setting his hammer on the top of the ladder, climbing down. He gestured to the picnic table that say in front of the trailer, and she obediently sat down, him following suit a few seconds later, a beer in hand. 

"How are you?" 

He took a long pull from his bottle. "Great," he responded, the sarcastic tone in his voice making her wince.

She nodded, not quite meeting his eyes. "I uh... the cabin looks amazing."

Owen looked over at the wooden framework, an odd smirk gracing his lips as he shook his head. "Thanks. Keeps me busy," he shrugged. She could understand the need to keep busy. 

Staring at him now, she wasn't sure how to start this conversation. She was at a loss for words for what to say, which was new to her. Her hands were suddenly a lot more interesting, her gaze focused on them as she fidgeted. The silence stretched until he seemed to take pity on her. 

"Why are you here, Claire?"

The sound of her name coming from his lips washed over her and her breath hitched silently. "I... um." She looked up at him, chewing on her lip. Sighing, Claire answered, "I'm going back, Owen." 

His groaned. "Claire, no."

She shook her head. "No, I'm going. That isn't up for discussion."

His nostrils flared as he took another long drink of beer, looking somewhere behind her. 

"I'm here because they need you, Owen. They need you to-"

"No." His voice was low and serious. "No."

"Owen, please. Look, they've been trying to get a hold of you for weeks-"

"I know."

Her brow furrowed. "How? They said you'd disconnected your number."

"I got their message, and I didn't need to hear anything else. I blocked their number."

She'd come all the way out here, and he'd known the whole time? "Couldn't you at least have told them no?" She glared at him.

Her expression didnt faze him as he shrugged. "I figured they'd get the hint."

"Yeah well they didn't, and I had to drive all the way here."

"Why did they send you?"

She narrowed her eyes, feeling her cheeks flush. "Apparently I'm your emergency contact."

"Shit," he swore. "I'd better change that."

Claire flinched, closing her eyes. "Yeah," she muttered. 

"I'm not going."

"Owen, they need your help, we need to save them." He looked at her and she steeled herself against the look in his eyes. "Blue's there, Owen."

"Jesus, Claire," he exclaimed.

"She is, Owen. She's alive on that island, but who knows for how much longer? She could get sick too."

Owen gritted his teeth, swallowing hard as he looked away. 

She softened her voice. "They need your help catching her, Owen. You know she won't let anyone else get close enough."

Not daring to speak again, she simply watched him as he stared off into the distance. His breathing was deep and his eyes were a swirling storm of emotion. She finally lowered her eyes to the table, watching the way he fiddled with his beer bottle. His strong fingers picked at the label, pulling off small bits of paper. The condensation gathered under his hand before slowly dropping down onto the wooden table, the water mixing with the dirt on his rough hands, leaving dirty prints on the bottle. 

Her concentration was broken as he lifted to bottle to down the rest of its contents. He didn't look at her as he stood. "You can tell the boss that I'm only going if I can stay in my bungalow."

"But everyone is staying at the hotel, are you sure you don't wanna stay there? It's probably safer."

His smirk was anything but amused as he tossed the bottle into the van beside the trailer, the sound of clinking glass loud in the peaceful field. "Wouldn't want a pathetic bum like me dirtying up your fancy hotel, now would we?"

His words cut into her heart like a knife, and she gasped, her stricken face looking at him. She had opened her mind to speak, to apologize, to do _something_ , when he opened the door to his trailer. "I'll unblock their number." 

The door was slammed behind him. Claire stared at it, her eyes wide. She didn't move for a minute, just staring at the door. He didn't come back out.

Taking that as her dismissal, she got back into her car slowly. With one long last look at that trailer, she sighed to herself, turning the key and shifting her car into drive. 

She was barely half a mile down the street when the tears came hot and fast. They streamed down her cheeks and blurred her vision. A sob escaping her mouth, she wiped them on her sleeve, trying to focus on the road ahead of her. 

_I shouldn't have come_. 

But she had been successful, he was on board. She selfishly wished that he had said no. Yes, she knew they needed to save Blue, and she knew they wouldn't be able to without Owen, at least not safely, whether for the handlers or the animal. She knew that. And still, her success only made her nerves surrounding this mission worse, somehow. Was she really about to spend _at least_ a month on an island with him?

Maybe she wouldn't have to see him, she reasoned. She'd be in her office, or the control room, he would be with the other handlers and officers. Maybe their paths wouldn't cross much. She didn't know if that was comforting either, though. 

Sniffling, Claire pulled up at a stop sign. Biting back another sob, she closed her eyes for a few moments, guilt eating her alive as she remembered the hurt in his eyes. 

Reaching over, she turned the radio on, turning the volume up as loud as she could stand, then a bit more until she couldn't think. She didn't touch the dial again until she was a few blocks from home. Making a quick phone call, she informed Rhodes' office of Owen's change of heart.

Hanging up, she sighed as she heading toward her apartment. At the last moment, she turned the wheel, pulling up to the liquor store, paying for her purchase silently.

Claire didn't sleep that night, not until she had passed out on her armchair, empty wine bottle clutched to her chest. 

At work the next day, she locked herself in her office, telling Zia she just didn't feel very well. It wasn't a lie. Her head was pounding and her stomach was churning. She'd already thrown up everything in her, so she was pretty sure that she in the clear now. The headache was the only part that she divulged to Zia. 

Eyeing the sandwich she'd brought with her, she wrinkled her nose, pushing it away from her. Her stomach was still uneasy and she had no desire to risk vomiting again. 

Sleep continued to prove itself difficult without something to silence the thoughts raging in her head, and the local liquor store clerk had started to recognize her face. She drove an extra block to a different market the next night.

Tuesday night, though, she didn't let herself have more than two glasses, despite her urge to finish off the bottle to take her mind off of the anxiety coursing through her. She was trying not to think about her alarm clock that was set to go off at 4am the next morning, but it was impossible. 

Claire had no idea what to expect. What would it feel like being back there? Laying back on the couch, she closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. _It'll be fine. It's gonna be different this time._

But the tightness in her chest wasn't going away, and she could feel her breathing becoming labored. Biting her lip, she grabbed her phone, quickly sending off a message.

' _Are you still up_?' It wasn't that late, so she might get a response. Though not everyone had as hard of a time sleeping as she did, she reasoned. 

Regardless, just a minute later, her phone buzzed with a response to Zia. ' _Yeah_.' Then, ' _I'm freaking out about tomorrow_.'

That was reassuring. She was glad that she wasn't the only one, at least. ' _Me too. I can't sleep_.'

Getting up to get a glass of water, she rubbed her forehead. She was going to be exhausted in the morning. 

Her phone buzzed. ' _Same. Wanna come over? We can drive together in the morning.'_

Claire eyed the bottle of wine on the counter. ' _Can't, I had some wine. Wanna come over here instead? I can get you a cab.'_

_'I got it boss, be there in 20_.'

Claire smiled as she looked around the room, then frowned as she realized what a mess her apartment had become. Empty glasses, clothes thrown over the back of the couch, dishes from the few meals she'd eaten, snack wrappers. 

She set about tidying up, and she had just set the last plate in the sink when there was a knock at her door. Opening it, she found Zia and her two duffel bags on her doorstep. "Hey! Come on in."

Zia deposited her bags in the living room before making her way back to the kitchen. She gestured to the wine bottle, asking, "Do you mind?"

"Help yourself," Claire responded. 

The two women took a seat on couch, sighing as they relaxed, both of them already in their pajamas. Claire sipped her water while Zia nursed her glass of wine, the t.v. playing quietly in the background.

They were quiet until Zia spoke. "Thanks for letting me come over. I couldn't sleep at all, I just kept thinking about tomorrow."

Claire shook her head, shifting to tuck her feet under herself. "Yeah, me too. I'm glad you came over, though."

The brunette smiled. "At least this way we can freak out together." They shared a small laugh before Zia's expression turned serious, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. "I'm just... I don't know. Scared, I guess? Nervous? This is crazy."

"Yeah, it's crazy. I'm nervous too."

Zia looked up at her as she sipped her wine. "What... what is the island like? I mean, I've seen pictures from when the park was open, and I've seen the cam footage. But what's it really like?"

Claire leaned back against the arm of the couch, smiling at the bittersweet memories. "It's beautiful," she answered honestly. "Everything is so green, all the trees and flowers. It's a beautiful place." She thought back to the first time she visited the park. "It's big, too, it goes on forever. The park's huge, and it doesn't even take up the whole island."

"What was your favorite part?"

Claire hummed. "The nursery. It was off limits to guests, and most of the employees. But it was incredible to see how small the animals were when they were young, compared to what they grew into. But my favorite part of the main park? The botanical gardens."

"I didn't even know they had one of those." 

She nodded. "It's right behind the hotel. Maybe it's still in good shape. If it is, we can go take a look."

"I'd love to see it," Zia answered. 

"It was breathtaking. Dozens and dozens of different kinds of plants and flowers, a lot of which was stuff from the Jurassic Era. It was incredible, especially when everything was in bloom."

"Wow," Zia breathed.

Claire just nodded her head.

"And what about the... the dinosaurs?"

Claire sighed. "They were just as beautiful as the rest of the island, but scary, even the gentle ones. They're just so massive, and strong. Well, most of them," she remarked, thinking of the microceratus. Zia just watched her carefully as she spoke. "I just wish I had taken more time to actually see them, you know? It was just... my job, I had to make a lot of really hard decisions, and it was easier to do when I didn't know them personally. There can be a lot of health concerns in cloned animals, and we had a lot that didn't make it. I just didn't want to get attached, I guess."

"I'm sorry," Zia whispered.

Claire smiled at her softly. "It's okay. It's natural, it's a part of life, I know. But it was just easier if it wasn't personal." And if it made everyone think she was a cold, impersonal woman, then oh well. "Do you have a favorite?"

"Well, I've never seen any in person, sadly. Though, I guess that's about to change. You know, I've waited my whole life for this, but I'm still terrified." Zia shook her head at herself. "But I'm excited at the same time." She set her empty glass on the coffee table and looked to Claire. "Ankylosauruses," she finally answered. "You?"

_Is_ 'none' _an acceptable answe_ r? Yes, but it wasn't the truth. She still thought they were beautiful creatures, just as she had the first time she'd seen one. But now she also had first-hand knowledge of the monsters they could be. "Triceratops," Claire responded. "They've always been my favorite, ever since I was a kid."

"The Land Before Time?" Zia asked, laughing as Claire nodded. "Good choice. Had enough of the T-Rex then?"

A shivered passed through her as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Enough for a lifetime."

Zia chuckled, then it was quiet again, the two of them lost in thought.

"Do you think it'll be safe?" the younger woman asked, her voice uncharacteristically timid.

A sigh escaped Claire as she shifted on the couch. "I don't think it could ever be completely safe," she answered truthfully. "I made the mistake of thinking that before." She looked down at her hands, swallowing back the familiar guilt. "But I think it'll be as safe as it can be. There will be a perimeter fence, and guards on patrol at all times. And the hotel and main street will be cleared before we even get there, so we shouldn't have to worry about that."

Zia nodded, looking somewhat comforted. "Okay." She looked at Claire. "I just... _really_ can't wait to see a dinosaur. It doesn't feel real that we could see one tomorrow."

Claire nodded. "It doesn't. But I'm sure it'll feel a lot more real when we're at the airport at 5am."

Zia threw her head back and groaned loudly. "Don't remind me." She rubbed her hands down her face. "We're definitely stopping for coffee. Speaking of, we should probably try to sleep."

"Yeah," Claire sighed as she stood up, refilling her glass of water to take to bed. 

The two of them headed into the bedroom. Zia pulled the blankets back and laid on her side while Claire made sure her outfit was laid out for the morning. She climbed into bed and clicked off the lamp, surprised at how quickly she was feeling drowsy. It may not have been as comforting as having strong arms wrapped around her, a warm voice singing her softly to sleep, but Zia's company made her feel safe. Only a few minutes later, when she could hear her friend's breathing even out, she found herself following suit, drifting off into a relaxed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this one! I know it was kinda short, sorry about that! It would be too long to include the next day, and I didn't wanna drag it out too much. Next chapter is the big day!


End file.
